Surgical splint



L. A. WILSON SURGICAL SPLINT June 13, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 21, 1947 ii; A

rill/7 Inventor m m m n 0 k w E A e m w a I- June 13, 1950 A. WILSON v SURGICAL 'SPLINT 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 21, 1947 m PE Inventor Lawrence A. Wilson L. A. WILSON SURGICAL SPLINT June 13, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 21, 1947 0 PE v Inventor Lawrence A. Wilson Attorneys Patented June 13, 1950 SURGICAL SPLINT Lawrence A. Wilson, Temple Hills, Md., assignor of one-half to Thomas H. Armstrong, Silver Spring, Md.

Application April 21, 1947, Serial No. 742,772

2 Claims. 1 This invention relates to a surgical splint and has for its primary object to apply traction to a fractured femur and to support the limb in a The above and other objects may be attained by employing this invention which embodies among its features a frame, a cradle in said frame for supporting the limb having the fractured femur, an arch at one end of the frame for engaging the hip of the patient having the fractured femur, a column rising from the opposite end of the frame and means attached to the column for exerting tension on the femur at a point remote from the end embraced by the arch.

Other features include means to adjust the angle at which the limb is supported in the frame, means to adjust the angle at which the traction is applied and means to regulate the degree of tension exerted on the femur.

Still other features include a wheel frame pivoted to the frame near the end from which the column rises and wheels on the wheel frame remote from the pivoted end thereof adapted when the wheel frame is moved out of parallelism with the frame to render the splint mobile and to hold the splint elevated when the patient is seated in a chair.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a surgical splint embodying the features of this invention,

Figure 2 is a side View of the splint illustrated in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is an end view from the rear end of the splint,

Figure 4 is a plan view of the splint,

Figure 5 is an end View of the splint taken from the end opposite that illustrated in Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 6-6 of Figure 4,

Figure '7 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line I| of Figure 1,

Figure 8 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 8-8 of Figure 4, and

Figure 9 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional View taken substantially along the line 9-9 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a main frame designated generally [0 comprises a pair of spaced parallel angle bars ll forming the side bars of the device, the forward ends of which are connected by a transversely extending end bar the end bar l2 in holding the side bars H in spaced parallel relation. As illustrated in the drawings the bows I3, l4 and I5 increase in height progressively from the rear end of the frame toward the forward end thereof, and pivoted in the upper end of the bow l5 and extending forwardly and upwardly therefrom is a yoke 16, the legs of which converge and terminate in spaced parallel extensions l1 between which a pulley wheel [8 is mounted to rotate about an axle I9. The ends of the legs of the yoke l6 opposite those pivotedto the arch l5 are joined by a bight portion which is pierced to receive an attaching rivet 2| which supports a wheel guard 22 and a depending arm 23 the purpose of which will be more fully hereinafter explained. Extending forwardly from the cross bar [2 midway between opposite ends thereof is a bracket arm 24 carrying at its extreme forward end a column or pedestal 25 which is provided with a longitudinally extending elongated slot 23 for the reception of an adjusting bolt 21. This bolt 21 extends through the lower end of the depending arm 23- and is equipped with a wing nut 28 by means of which the vertical position of the arm 23 on the column or standard 25 may be adjusted, and hence the height of the pulley I8 from the frame I0 may be regulated. Fixed to the column or standard 25 near its lower end is a spindle 29 upon which is mounted to rotate about an axis which lies perpendicular to the axis of the pulley [8 a guide pulley 30 the purpose of which will be more fully hereinafter explained. Mounted on a spindle 3| carried adjacent one side bar ll of the frame ID to rotate about a vertical axis is a guide pulley 32, the periphery of which lies substantially tangential to the periphery of the pulley 30 as will be readily understood upon reference to Figure 1. Formed in each leg of each bow l3, l4 and I5 is a vertical row Of vertically spaced apertures 33 the purpose of which will be more fully hereinafter explained.

A cradle designated generally 34 comprising a pair of side bars 35 and a sling 36 is mounted for adjustment between the bows on suitable bolts 31 which project through certain of the openings 33, and attaching clips 38, which bolts are provided with wing nuts 39. It will thus be seen that by loosening the wing nuts 39 and removing the bolts 31 from the apertures 33, and replacing them in different apertures and again tightening the wing nuts, the angular position of the cradle 34 may be varied to suit the comfort of the patient. Extending transversely between the rear ends of the side bars 35 is an arch 40 of relatively rigid material which is equipped with an arched hip engaging cuff- 4| which is adapted to engage the hip of the patient to be treated.

An auxiliary cradle 42 issupported between the bows l4 and I5 and like the cradle 34 com-.- prises side bars 43 between which is suspended a sling 44 for supporting the lower. portion of the limbof the patient. Like'the cradle j34,:the

cradle 42 is capable'of being adjusted vertically and angularly with relation to the frame [0.

Trained over the pulleys I8, and 32 is a tension cable 45 carrying at one end a U-shaped yoke 46 which is adapted pantiallytoembrace the limb under treatment and this yoke is .piercedto receive a skeletal pin 4'! which is extended through the femur in a well know-rilsurgical man- The end of the cable 45 opposite .that to.

ner. which the yoke 46 is attached is coupled as at 48 toanelastic cord 49, the opposite end of which extended through-a tubular guide-56 secured as by clips "5| to the lower ends of the legsof the bows: l3-and l4 and is attached by a suitable coupling 52 to a tension indicating device to be more fully-hereinafter described.

:Th indicating device above referred to designated-generally 53 comprises a tubular housing 54 provided adjacent one endwith an annular outwardly extending bulged portion 55 for engagen ient against the end of the tubular body'fill as will be readil understood upon reference to Figure 6. 'Fixed as at 56 to a cross pin extending transversely through thetubular body 54 adjacent the end opposite the-bead'55 is one end of a-retractile coil spring 51, the opposite end of which is connected to the coupling 52 as shown. The body 54 is provided'with a longitudinal slot 58,- and fixed toa convolution of the spring 51 intermediate its end is a, pointer'59 which-extends outwardly through the'slot58 to cooperate with indices marked on the exterior of the tubular body 54 along oppositesides of the slot '58. It will thus be seen that'as the coupling'52 on the end-of the cord Elli-moves longitudinally of the body'50 its movement-will be registeredby the movement of the pointer 59 along the indicator '53. *In this'way the surgeon in charge of the case may determine the amount of tension being applied to a limb under treatment.

In order thatthe splint may be rendered mobile and elevated for the comfort of v a patient when seated in a chair Ipivot as-at60 to opposite side bars H near the forward ends thereof a pair lation therewith. In order to hold the wheel 4 frame *62 to properly support the frame In in spaced relation to the floor suitable stops -iiii are attached to the arms BI near the "pivot points Gil-which when the'wheel frame "62 assumes the position-illustrated in'ZFigure 2 with relation to the frame It! engage the un'derfaces of the-bottomflanges of the sidebars H so that asthe patient-isadvanced along thefloor or seated in a chair, the parts will be held in :proper position. On the other hand the main frame [0 is-supported onabed andjthe patient is in a reclining positionthe wheel frame is folded as illustratedin Figure 1 so that the -arms'6l 'lieparallel with the side bars {H of the main frame I0.

Inusethe limb to be t-reated is placed in the cradles 34 and 42 with the side bars'3-5-arranged at the desired angle and adjusted so as to bring the cuff 4| into contact with the trunk at its junction with-the'limb. The skeletal pin then'introclucedinto-"thelimb in a well known manner 4 and-the cable 45 ,is COUPIGCI With'ithdYOkG 46, so that the elastic cord 49 will be-extended, and will exert pull on the femur being treated. The couplings 48 and 52 detachably connect the elas- -tic cord 49 to the cable 45 and to the spring 51, :and .by interchanging elastic cords different degriees'pf tension will be exerted on the femur. The amount .of tension exerted by the elastic cord 49 .on the femur may be easily determined by the position ,of the pointer on the scale appearing on opposite side of the slot 58 and the degree of tension may be varied by interchanging the elastic cord with a more or less powerful one. The devicenot'only will serve to'exert traction on the femur of a patient in reclining position, but where conditions will permit the patient may be moved, and may even beallowed to sit up by moving the wheel frame -'62 downwardly and supporting the-forward-end ofthe main frame I 0 thereon to thus relieve the patient of much of the discomfort ordinaril attending the prolonged application of traction to'fractured femurs. The adjustment of the cradles '34 and 44 will en'- a'blethe'limb to' lie-supported in the most comfortable position and by adjusting the height of the pulleyit it is obvious that the angle at which pull-is exerted on the' femur may be easily varied.

' While in the "foregoing there has been :shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination-and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

*1. A surgical splint for applying traction to a fractured femur comprising a frame'having elongated side' bars,"longitudinally spaced vertically extending, inverted U-shaped braces secured'to said side bars, limb supporting cradles each having side sleeves, side bars received in saidsleeves, means mounting said rods for vertical adjustment on said braces, and means carried by said frame for exerting tension on the femur, said first-named means including attaching clips engaging each of said side rods, the legs of said braces being provided with vertically spaced apertures, and an adjusting screw extending through each clip and through a selected one of said apertures.

2 The combination of 'claim 1 and a second frame having side members, wheels carried at one endof said side members, means securing the other end of said members to said side bars for movement in a vertical plane relative to said firstmentioned frame, and stops carried by said other endof said side -=members and engageable with said side-bars for retaining-said first-mentioned frame in a desired elevated position on said wheels.

LAWRENCE'A. WILSON.

REFERENCES TCITED The following references are of record in the file-of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS .Burchsted Apr. 24,1945 

